Fig. 6: SLC7A11 positive macrophages exist in human kidney cancer and are associated with poor prognosis.
From: Effect of M2-like macrophages of the injured-kidney cortex on kidney cancer progression
a Kaplan–Meier plot for comparing the overall survival between kidney cancer patients with high expression of SLC7A11 and kidney cancer patients with low expression of SLC7A11; blue line indicates PTPRC-high and SLC7A11-low patients, and red line indicates PTPRC-high and SLC7A11-high patients. The overall survival of kidney cancer patients with high expression of SLC7A11 was worse than patients with low expression of SLC7A11. Statistical analysis was performed using the two-sided log-rank test. HR was calculated using univariate Cox regression analysis. b Representative immunohistochemical analysis of xCT-positive CD68+ macrophages in kidney cancer patients. Scale bars: 20 μm. c Schematic summary of the main results. Through AKI to CKD process, M2-like macrophages were accumulated in the injured kidney cortex. These M2-like macrophages in the injured kidney expanded the M2-like macrophage population in the kidney cancer tissue, leading to the progression of kidney cancer and diminished the efficacy of the anti-PD1 antibody via at least two distinct mechanisms—a direct mechanism to tumor progression and inhibition of CD8 T cell infiltration into the tumor. SSZ modulated the direct pro-tumor of M2-like macrophages and improved the anti-tumor activity and susceptibility to anti-PD1 antibody therapy. HR hazard ratio, CI confidence interval, AKI acute kidney injury, CKD chronic kidney disease, SSZ sulfasalazine.
